Installation features for surgical instrument end effector cartridge

ABSTRACT

A surgical instrument comprises a body, a shaft, and an end effector. The end effector has a staple cartridge, a lower jaw, an anvil, and a firing beam. The staple cartridge comprises a cartridge body and a lower cartridge tray. One or both of the cartridge body or the lower cartridge tray comprises at least one notch. The lower jaw is configured to be coupled with the cartridge body and comprises protrusions. The protrusions of the lower jaw align with the notches of the cartridge body and/or lower cartridge tray when the lower jaw and staple cartridge are coupled. The body comprises a handle portion and a series of actuators capable of closing the anvil on the staple cartridge and driving the firing beam to vertically drive a plurality of staples.

BACKGROUND

In some settings, endoscopic surgical instruments may be preferred overtraditional open surgical devices since a smaller incision may reducethe post-operative recovery time and complications. Consequently, someendoscopic surgical instruments may be suitable for placement of adistal end effector at a desired surgical site through the cannula of atrocar. These distal end effectors may engage tissue in a number of waysto achieve a diagnostic or therapeutic effect (e.g., endocutter,grasper, cutter, stapler, clip applier, access device, drug/gene therapydelivery device, and energy delivery device using ultrasound, RF, laser,etc.). Endoscopic surgical instruments may include a shaft between theend effector and a handle portion, which is manipulated by theclinician. Such a shaft may enable insertion to a desired depth androtation about the longitudinal axis of the shaft, thereby facilitatingpositioning of the end effector within the patient. Positioning of anend effector may be further facilitated through inclusion of one or morearticulation joints or features, enabling the end effector to beselectively articulated or otherwise deflected relative to thelongitudinal axis of the shaft.

Examples of endoscopic surgical instruments include surgical staplers.Some such staplers are operable to clamp down on layers of tissue, cutthrough the clamped layers of tissue, and drive staples through thelayers of tissue to substantially seal the severed layers of tissuetogether near the severed ends of the tissue layers. Merely exemplarysurgical staplers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,823, entitled“Pocket Configuration for Internal Organ Staplers,” issued Feb. 21,1989; U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,334, entitled “Surgical Stapler and StapleCartridge,” issued May 16, 1995; U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,895, entitled“Surgical Stapler Instrument,” issued Nov. 14, 1995; U.S. Pat. No.5,597,107, entitled “Surgical Stapler Instrument,” issued Jan. 28, 1997;U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,432, entitled “Surgical Instrument,” issued May 27,1997; U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,840, entitled “Surgical Instrument,” issuedOct. 7, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,534, entitled “Articulation Assemblyfor Surgical Instruments,” issued Jan. 6, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,055,entitled “Surgical Clamping Mechanism,” issued Sep. 29, 1998; U.S. Pat.No. 6,978,921, entitled “Surgical Stapling Instrument Incorporating anE-Beam Firing Mechanism,” issued Dec. 27, 2005; U.S. Pat. No. 7,000,818,entitled “Surgical Stapling Instrument Having Separate Distinct Closingand Firing Systems,” issued Feb. 21, 2006; U.S. Pat. No. 7,143,923,entitled “Surgical Stapling Instrument Having a Firing Lockout for anUnclosed Anvil,” issued Dec. 5, 2006; U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,108, entitled“Surgical Stapling Instrument Incorporating a Multi-Stroke FiringMechanism with a Flexible Rack,” issued Dec. 4, 2007; U.S. Pat. No.7,367,485, entitled “Surgical Stapling Instrument Incorporating aMultistroke Firing Mechanism Having a Rotary Transmission,” issued May6, 2008; U.S. Pat. No. 7,380,695, entitled “Surgical Stapling InstrumentHaving a Single Lockout Mechanism for Prevention of Firing,” issued Jun.3, 2008; U.S. Pat. No. 7,380,696, entitled “Articulating SurgicalStapling Instrument Incorporating a Two-Piece E-Beam Firing Mechanism,”issued Jun. 3, 2008; U.S. Pat. No. 7,404,508, entitled “SurgicalStapling and Cutting Device,” issued Jul. 29, 2008; U.S. Pat. No.7,434,715, entitled “Surgical Stapling Instrument Having MultistrokeFiring with Opening Lockout,” issued Oct. 14, 2008; U.S. Pat. No.7,721,930, entitled “Disposable Cartidge with Adhesive for Use with aStapling Device,” issued May 25, 2010; U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0264193,entitled “Surgical Stapling Instrument with An Articulatable EndEffector,” published Oct. 21, 2010 and issued as U.S Pat. No. 8,408,439on Apr. 2, 2013; and U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0239012, entitled “Motor-DrivenSurgical Cutting Instrument with Electric Actuator Directional ControlAssembly,” published Sep. 20, 2012 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,453,914on Jun. 4, 2013. The disclosure of each of the above-cited U.S. Patentsand U.S. Patent Publications is incoporated by reference herein.

While the surgical staplers referred to above are described as beingused in endoscopic procedures, it should be understood that suchsurgical staplers may also be used in open procedures and/or othernon-endoscopic procedures. By way of example only, a surgical staplermay be inserted through a thoracotomy and thereby between a patient'sribs to reach one or more organs in a thoracic surgical procedure thatdoes not use a trocar as a conduit for the stapler. Such procedures mayinclude the use of the stapler to sever and close a vessel leading to alung. For instance, the vessels leading to an organ may be severed andclosed by a stapler before removal of the organ from the thoraciccavity. Of course, surgical staplers may be used in various othersettings and procedures.

While various kinds of surgical stapling instruments and associatedcomponents have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior tothe inventor(s) has made or used the invention described in the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention,and, together with the general description of the invention given above,and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve toexplain the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of an exemplary articulating surgicalstapling instrument;

FIG. 2 depicts a side elevational view of the instrument of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of an opened end effector of theinstrument of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4A depicts a side cross-sectional view of the end effector of FIG.3, taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, with a firing beam in a proximalposition;

FIG. 4B depicts a side cross-sectional view of the end effector of FIG.3, taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, with the firing beam in a distalposition;

FIG. 5 depicts an end cross-sectional view of the end effector of FIG.3, taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 depicts an exploded perspective view of the end effector of FIG.3;

FIG. 7 depicts a perspective view of the end effector of FIG. 3,positioned at tissue and having been actuated once in the tissue;

FIG. 8 depicts a schematic view of an exemplary control circuit for usein the instrument of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 depicts a perspective view of the handle assembly of theinstrument of FIG. 1, with a housing half removed;

FIG. 10 depicts a perspective view of drive assembly components from thehandle assembly of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 depicts a perspective view of an elongate member from the driveassembly of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 depicts an exploded perspective view of an exemplary alternativeend effector that may be used with the instrument of FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 depicts a detailed perspective view of the proximal portion ofan exemplary staple cartridge of the end effector of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 depicts a detailed perspective view of the proximal portion ofan exemplary lower jaw of the end effector of FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 depicts an exploded perspective view of the end effector of FIG.12 with the staple cartridge of FIG. 13 and the lower jaw of FIG. 14assembled;

FIG. 16 depicts a detailed perspective view of the end effector of FIG.12 with the staple cartridge of FIG. 13 and the lower jaw of FIG. 14assembled;

FIG. 17 depicts a detailed top view of the end effector of FIG. 12 withthe staple cartridge of FIG. 13 and the lower jaw of FIG. 14 assembled;and

FIG. 18 depicts a detailed cross-sectional view of the end effector ofFIG. 12, taken along line 18-18 of FIG. 17, with the staple cartridge ofFIG. 13 and the lower jaw of FIG. 14 assembled.

The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it iscontemplated that various embodiments of the invention may be carriedout in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depictedin the drawings. The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming apart of the specification illustrate several aspects of the presentinvention, and together with the description serve to explain theprinciples of the invention; it being understood, however, that thisinvention is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description of certain examples of the invention shouldnot be used to limit the scope of the present invention. Other examples,features, aspects, embodiments, and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the followingdescription, which is by way of illustration, one of the best modescontemplated for carrying out the invention. As will be realized, theinvention is capable of other different and obvious aspects, all withoutdeparting from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptionsshould be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

I. Exemplary Surgical Stapler

FIGS. 1-7 depict an exemplary surgical stapling and severing instrument(10) that is sized for insertion, in a nonarticulated state as depictedin FIG. 1, through a trocar cannula to a surgical site in a patient forperforming a surgical procedure. By way of example only, such a trocarmay be inserted in a patient's abdomen, between two of the patient'sribs, or elsewhere. In some settings, instrument (10) is used without atrocar. For instance, instrument (10) may be inserted directly through athoracotomy or other type of incision. Instrument (10) of the presentexample includes a handle portion (20) connected to a shaft (22). Shaft(22) distally terminates in an articulation joint (11), which is furthercoupled with an end effector (12). It should be understood that termssuch as “proximal” and “distal” are used herein with reference to aclinician gripping handle portion (20) of instrument (10). Thus, endeffector (12) is distal with respect to the more proximal handle portion(20). It will be further appreciated that for convenience and clarity,spatial terms such as “vertical” and “horizontal” are used herein withrespect to the drawings. However, surgical instruments are used in manyorientations and positions, and these terms are not intended to belimiting and absolute.

In some versions, shaft (22) is constructed in accordance with at leastsome of the teachings of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/780,402,entitled “Surgical Instrument with Multi-Diameter Shaft,” filed on Feb.28, 2013 and published as U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2014-0239038 on Aug. 28,2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. Othersuitable configurations for shaft (22) will be apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein.

Once articulation joint (11) and end effector (12) are inserted throughthe cannula passageway of a trocar, articulation joint (11) may beremotely articulated, as depicted in phantom in FIG. 1, by anarticulation control (13), such that end effector (12) may be deflectedfrom the longitudinal axis (LA) of shaft (22) at a desired angle (α).End effector (12) may thereby reach behind an organ or approach tissuefrom a desired angle or for other reasons. In some versions,articulation joint (11) enables deflection of end effector (12) along asingle plane. In some other versions, articulation joint (11) enablesdeflection of end effector along more than one plane. Articulation joint(11) and articulation control (13) may be configured in accordance withthe teachings of any of the numerous references that are cited herein.Alternatively, articulation joint (11) and/or articulation control (13)may have any other suitable configuration. By way of example only,articulation control (13) may instead be configured as a knob thatrotates about an axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis(LA) of shaft (22).

In some versions, articulation joint (11) and/or articulation control(13) are/is constructed and operable in accordance with at least some ofthe teachings of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/780,067, entitled“Surgical Instrument End Effector Articulation Drive with Pinion andOpposing Racks,” filed on Feb. 28, 2013 and published as U.S. Pat. Pub.No. 2014-0243801 on Aug. 28, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,186,142, issuedon Nov. 17, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated by referenceherein. Articulation joint (11) may also be constructed and operable inaccordance with at least some of the teachings of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/780,402, entitled “Surgical Instrument WithMulti-Diameter Shaft,” filed on Feb. 28, 2013 and published as U.S. Pat.Pub. No. 2014-0239038 on Aug. 28, 2014, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein. Other suitable forms that articulationjoint (11) and articulation control (13) may take will be apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein.

End effector (12) of the present example includes a lower jaw (16) and apivotable anvil (18). Various exemplary components, features, andoperabilities that may be incorporated into lower jaw (16) are describedin greater detail below. Anvil (18) may be constructed in accordancewith at least some of the teachings of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/780,106, entitled “Integrated Tissue Positioning and Jaw AlignmentFeatures for Surgical Stapler,” filed on Feb. 28, 2013 and published asU.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2014-0239042 on Aug. 28, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No.9,517,065, issued on Dec. 13, 2016, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein; at least some of the teachings of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/780,120, entitled “Jaw Closure Featurefor End Effector of Surgical Instrument,” filed on Feb. 28, 2013 andpublished as U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2014-0239036 on Aug. 28, 2014, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; and/or at leastsome of the teachings of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13,780,379,entitled “Staple Forming Features for Surgical Stapling Instrument,”filed on Feb. 28, 2013 and published as U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2014-0239037on Aug. 28, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by referenceherein. Other suitable forms that lower jaw (16) and anvil (18) may takewill be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of theteachings herein.

Handle portion (20) includes a pistol grip (24) and a closure trigger(26). Closure trigger (26) is pivotable toward pistol grip (24) to causeclamping, or closing, of the anvil (18) toward lower jaw (16) of endeffector (12). Such closing of anvil (18) is provided through a closuretube (32) and a closure ring (33), which both longitudinally translaterelative to handle portion (20) in response to pivoting of closuretrigger (26) relative to pistol grip (24). Closure tube (32) extendsalong the length of shaft (22); and closure ring (33) is positioneddistal to articulation joint (11). Articulation joint (11) is operableto communicate/transmit longitudinal movement from closure tube (32) toclosure ring (33).

Handle portion (20) also includes a firing trigger (28). An elongatemember (136) (shown in FIG. 11) longitudinally extends through shaft(22) and communicates a longitudinal firing motion from handle portion(20) to a firing beam (14) in response to actuation of firing trigger(28). This distal translation of firing beam (14) causes the staplingand severing of clamped tissue in end effector (12), as will bedescribed in greater detail below. Thereafter, triggers (26, 28) may bereleased to release the tissue from end effector (12).

FIGS. 3-6 depict end effector (12) employing an E-beam form of firingbeam (14) to perform a number of functions. It should be understood thatan E-beam form is just a merely illustrative example. Firing beam (14)may take any other suitable form, including but not limited tonon-E-beam forms. As best seen in FIGS. 4A-4B, firing beam (14) includesa transversely oriented upper pin (38), a firing beam cap (44), atransversely oriented middle pin (46), and a distally presented cuttingedge (48). Upper pin (38) is positioned and translatable within alongitudinal anvil slot (42) of anvil (18). Firing beam cap (44)slidably engages a lower surface of lower jaw (16) by having firing beam(14) extend through lower jaw slot (45) (shown in FIG. 4B) that isformed through lower jaw (16). Middle pin (46) slidingly engages a topsurface of lower jaw (16), cooperating with firing beam cap (44).Thereby, firing beam (14) affirmatively spaces end effector (12) duringfiring.

Some non-E-beam forms of firing beam (14) may lack upper pin (38),middle pin (46) and/or firing beam cap (44). Some such versions ofinstrument (10) may simply rely on closure ring (33) or some otherfeature to pivot anvil (18) to a closed position and hold anvil (18) inthe closed position while firing beam (14) advances to the distalposition. By way of example only, firing beam (14) and/or associatedlockout features may be constructed and operable in accordance with atleast some of the teachings of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13,780,082, entitled “Lockout Feature for Movable Cutting Member ofSurgical Instrument,” filed on Feb. 28, 2013 and published as U.S. Pat.Pub. No. 2014-0239041 on Aug. 28, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,717,497,issued on Aug. 1, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein. Other suitable forms that firing beam (14) may takewill be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of theteachings herein.

FIG. 3 shows firing beam (14) of the present example proximallypositioned and anvil (18) pivoted to an open position, allowing anunspent staple cartridge (37) to be removably installed into a channelof lower jaw (16). As best seen in FIGS. 5-6, staple cartridge (37) ofthis example includes a cartridge body (70), which presents an upperdeck (72) and is coupled with a lower cartridge tray (74). As best seenin FIG. 3, a vertical slot (49) is formed through part of staplecartridge (37). As also best seen in FIG. 3, three rows of stapleapertures (51) are formed through upper deck (72) on one side ofvertical slot (49), with another set of three rows of staple apertures(51) being formed through upper deck (72) on the other side of verticalslot (49). Of course, any other suitable number of staple rows (e.g.,two rows, four rows, any other number) may be provided. Referring backto FIGS. 4A-6, a wedge sled (41) and a plurality of staple drivers (43)are captured between cartridge body (70) and tray (74), with wedge sled(41) being located proximal to staple drivers (43). Wedge sled (41) ismovable longitudinally within staple cartridge (37); while stapledrivers (43) are movable vertically within staple cartridge (37).Staples (47) are also positioned within cartridge body (70), abovecorresponding staple drivers (43). In particular, each staple (47) isdriven vertically within cartridge body (70) by a staple driver (43) todrive staple (47) out through an associated staple aperture (51). Asbest seen in FIGS. 4A-4B and 6, wedge sled (41) presents inclined camsurfaces that urge staple drivers (43) upwardly as wedge sled (41) isdriven distally through staple cartridge (37).

In some versions, staple cartridge (37) is constructed and operable inaccordance with at least some of the teachings of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/780,106, entitled “Integrated Tissue Positioningand Jaw Alignment Features for Surgical Stapler,” filed on Feb. 28, 2013and published as U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2014-0239042 on Aug. 28, 2014, nowU.S. Pat. No. 9,517,065, issued on Dec. 13, 2016, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated by reference herein. In addition or in thealternative, staple cartridge (37) may be constructed and operable inaccordance with at least some of the teachings provided below. Othersuitable forms that staple cartridge (37) may take will be apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein.

With end effector (12) closed as depicted in FIGS. 4A-4B by distallyadvancing closure tube (32) and closure ring (33), firing beam (14) isthen advanced in engagement with anvil (18) by having upper pin (38)enter longitudinal anvil slot (42). A pusher block (80) (shown in FIG.5) is located at the distal end of firing beam (14), and is configuredto engage wedge sled (41) such that wedge sled (41) is pushed distallyby pusher block (80) as firing beam (14) is advanced distally throughstaple cartridge (37) when firing trigger (28) is actuated. During suchfiring, cutting edge (48) of firing beam (14) enters vertical slot (49)of staple cartridge (37), severing tissue clamped between staplecartridge (37) and anvil (18). As shown in FIGS. 4A-4B, middle pin (46)and pusher block (80) together actuate staple cartridge (37) by enteringinto vertical slot (49) within staple cartridge (37), driving wedge sled(41) into upward camming contact with staple drivers (43) that in turndrive staples (47) out through staple apertures (51) and into formingcontact with staple forming pockets (53) (shown in FIG. 3) on the innersurface of anvil (18). FIG. 4B depicts firing beam (14) fully distallytranslated after completing severing and stapling of tissue. It shouldbe understood that staple forming pockets (53) are intentionally omittedfrom the view in FIGS. 4A-4B; but staple forming pockets (53) are shownin FIG. 3. It should also be understood that anvil (18) is intentionallyomitted from the view in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows end effector (12) having been actuated through a singlestroke through tissue (90). As shown, cutting edge (48) (obscured inFIG. 7) has cut through tissue (90), while staple drivers (43) havedriven three alternating rows of staples (47) through the tissue (90) oneach side of the cut line produced by cutting edge (48). Staples (47)are all oriented substantially parallel to the cut line in this example,though it should be understood that staples (47) may be positioned atany suitable orientations. In the present example, end effector (12) iswithdrawn from the trocar after the first stroke is complete, spentstaple cartridge (37) is replaced with a new staple cartridge, and endeffector (12) is then again inserted through the trocar to reach thestapling site for further cutting and stapling. This process may berepeated until the desired amount of cuts and staples (47) have beenprovided. Anvil (18) may need to be closed to facilitate insertion andwithdrawal through the trocar; and anvil (18) may need to be opened tofacilitate replacement of staple cartridge (37).

It should be understood that cutting edge (48) may sever tissuesubstantially contemporaneously with staples (47) being driven throughtissue during each actuation stroke. In the present example, cuttingedge (48) just slightly lags behind driving of staples (47), such that astaple (47) is driven through the tissue just before cutting edge (48)passes through the same region of tissue, though it should be understoodthat this order may be reversed or that cutting edge (48) may bedirectly synchronized with adjacent staples. While FIG. 7 shows endeffector (12) being actuated in two layers (92, 94) of tissue (90), itshould be understood that end effector (12) may be actuated through asingle layer of tissue (90) or more than two layers (92, 94) of tissue.It should also be understood that the formation and positioning ofstaples (47) adjacent to the cut line produced by cutting edge (48) maysubstantially seal the tissue at the cut line, thereby reducing orpreventing bleeding and/or leaking of other bodily fluids at the cutline. Furthermore, while FIG. 7 shows end effector (12) being actuatedin two substantially flat, apposed planar layers (92, 94) of tissue, itshould be understood that end effector (12) may also be actuated acrossa tubular structure such as a blood vessel, a section of thegastrointestinal tract, etc. FIG. 7 should therefore not be viewed asdemonstrating any limitation on the contemplated uses for end effector(12). Various suitable settings and procedures in which instrument (10)may be used will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art inview of the teachings herein.

It should be understood that instrument (10) may be configured andoperable in accordance with any of the teachings of U.S. Pat. Nos.4,805,823; 5,415,334; 5,465,895; 5,597,107; 5,632,432; 5,673,840;5,704,534; 5,814,055; 6,978,921; 7,000,818; 7,143,923; 7,303,108;7,367,485; 7,380,695; 7,380,696; 7,404,508; 7,434,715; 7,721,930; U.S.Pub. No. 2010/0264193 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,408,439) and/or U.S. Pub. No.2012/0239012 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,453,914). As noted above, thedisclosures of each of those patents and publications are incorporatedby reference herein. Additional exemplary modifications that may beprovided for instrument (10) will be described in greater detail below.Various suitable ways in which the below teachings may be incorporatedinto instrument (10) will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in theart. Similarly, various suitable ways in which the below teachings maybe combined with various teachings of the patents/publications citedherein will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. It shouldalso be understood that the below teachings are not limited toinstrument (10) or devices taught in the patents cited herein. The belowteachings may be readily applied to various other kinds of instruments,including instruments that would not be classified as surgical staplers.Various other suitable devices and settings in which the below teachingsmay be applied will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art inview of the teachings herein.

II. Exemplary Motorized Drive Features

In the present example, instrument (10) provides motorized control offiring beam (14). FIGS. 8-11 show exemplary components that may be usedto provide motorized control of firing beam (14). In particular, FIG. 8shows an exemplary control circuit (100) that may be used to power anelectric motor (102) with electric power from a battery pack (104) (alsoshown in FIGS. 1-2). Electric motor (102) is operable to translatefiring beam (14) longitudinally as will be described in greater detailbelow. It should be understood that the entire control circuit (100),including motor (102) and battery pack (104), may be housed withinhandle portion (20). FIG. 8 shows firing trigger (28) as an open switch,though it should be understood that this switch is closed when firingtrigger (28) is actuated. Circuit (100) of this example also includes asafety switch (106) that must be closed in order to complete circuit(100), though it should be understood that safety switch (106) is merelyoptional. Safety switch (106) may be closed by actuating a separatebutton, slider, or other feature on handle portion (20).

Circuit (100) of the present example also includes a lockout switch(108), which is configured to be closed by default but is automaticallyopened in response to a lockout condition. By way of example only, alockout condition may include one or more of the following: the absenceof a cartridge (37) in lower jaw (16), the presence of a spent (e.g.,previously fired) cartridge (37) in lower jaw (16), an insufficientlyclosed anvil (18), a determination that instrument (10) has been firedtoo many times, and/or any other suitable conditions. Various sensors,algorithms, and other features that may be used to detect lockoutconditions will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art inview of the teachings herein. Similarly, other suitable kinds of lockoutconditions will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art inview of the teachings herein. It should be understood that circuit (100)is opened and thus motor (102) is inoperable when lockout switch (108)is opened. A lockout indicator (110) (e.g., an LED, etc.) is operable toprovide a visual indication of the status of lockout switch (108). Byway of example only, lockout switch (108), lockout indicator (110), andassociated components/functionality may be configured in accordance withat least some of the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 7,644,848, entitled“Electronic Lockouts and Surgical Instrument Including Same,” issuedJan. 12, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by referenceherein.

Once firing beam (14) reaches a distal-most position (e.g., at the endof a cutting stroke), an end-of-stroke switch (112) is automaticallyswitched to a closed position, reversing the polarity of the voltageapplied to motor (102). This reverses the direction of rotation of motor(102), it being understood that the operator will have released firingtrigger (28) at this stage of operation. In this operational state,current flows through a reverse direction indicator (114) (e.g., an LED,etc.) to provide a visual indication to the operator that motor (102)rotation has been reversed. Various suitable ways in which end-of-strokeswitch (112) may be automatically switched to a closed position whenfiring beam (14) reaches a distal-most position will be apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein.Similarly, various suitable forms that reverse direction indicator (114)may take will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in viewof the teachings herein.

Handle portion (20) of the present example also includes a manual returnswitch (116), which is also shown in circuit (100). Manual return switch(116) is configured to act as a “bailout” feature, enabling the operatorto quickly begin retracting firing beam (14) proximally during a firingstroke. In other words, manual return switch (116) may be manuallyactuated when firing beam (14) has only been partially advanceddistally. Manual return switch (116) may provide functionality similarto end-of-stroke switch (112), reversing the polarity of the voltageapplied to motor (102) to thereby reverse the direction of rotation ofmotor (102). Again, this reversal may be visually indicated throughreverse direction indicator (114).

In some versions, one or more of switches (28, 106, 108, 112, 116) arein the form of microswitches. Other suitable forms will be apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. Inaddition to or in lieu of the foregoing, at least part of circuit (100)may be configured in accordance with at least some of the teachings ofU.S. Pat. No. 8,210,411, entitled “Motor-Driven Surgical Instrument,”issued Jul. 3, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein.

FIGS. 9-11 show various mechanical components that may be used toprovide motorized translation of firing beam (14). In particular, FIG. 9shows motor (102) housed in pistol grip (24) of handle portion (20). Itshould be understood that battery pack (104) (shown in FIGS. 1-2) mayalso be located in pistol grip (24) (e.g., below motor (102)) and/orelsewhere within handle portion (20). Motor (102) has a drive shaft(120) that is coupled with a gear assembly (122). Gear assembly (122)has an external casing (not shown) and is operable to drive an uppergear (126), which is shown in FIG. 10. Upper gear (126) meshes with apinion (128), which is rotatably supported by a pin (129) secured inhandle portion (20). It should therefore be understood that activationof motor (102) will ultimately rotate pinion (128) within handle portion(20).

As also shown in FIGS. 9-10, a translating rack (130) includes teeth(132) that mesh with pinion (128), such that rack (130) translateslongitudinally when pinion (128) rotates. As shown in FIG. 11, rack(130) is coupled with an elongate member (136), which extends throughshaft (22) and includes a distal end (138) that couples with theproximal end of firing beam (14). Elongate member (136) translateswithin shaft (22), such that elongate member (136) communicateslongitudinal motion of rack (130) to firing beam (14). It shouldtherefore be understood that activation of motor (102) will ultimatelytranslate firing beam (14) within end effector (12). In particular,motor (102) may drive firing beam (14) distally to sever tissue (90) anddrive staples (47) into tissue (90). A switch actuation arm (134)extends laterally from rack (130), and is positioned to engageend-of-stroke switch (112) when firing beam (14) reaches a distal-mostposition (e.g., after tissue (90) has been severed and staples (47) havebeen driven into tissue (90)). As noted above, this engagement ofend-of-stroke switch (112) automatically reverses motor (102) to returnfiring beam (14) from the distal-most position to the proximal position,enabling anvil (18) to be pivoted away from lower jaw (16) to releasetissue (90).

Use of the term “pivot” (and similar terms with “pivot” as a base)should not be read as necessarily requiring pivotal movement about afixed axis. In some versions, anvil (18) pivots about an axis that isdefined by a pin (or similar feature) that slides along an elongate slotor channel as anvil (18) moves toward lower jaw (16). In such versions,the pivot axis translates along the path defined by the slot or channelwhile anvil (18) simultaneously pivots about that axis. In addition orin the alternative, the pivot axis may slide along the slot/channelfirst, with anvil (18) then pivoting about the pivot axis after thepivot axis has slid a certain distance along the slot/channel. It shouldbe understood that such sliding/translating pivotal movement isencompassed within terms such as “pivot,” “pivots,” “pivotal,”“pivotable,” “pivoting,” and the like. Of course, some versions mayprovide pivotal movement of anvil (18) about an axis that remains fixedand does not translate within a slot or channel, etc.

In addition to or in lieu of the foregoing, the features operable todrive firing beam (14) may be configured in accordance with at leastsome of the teachings of U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0239012 (now U.S. Pat. No.8,453,914), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein;and/or in accordance with at least some of the teachings of U.S. Pub.No. 2012/0239012 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,453,914), the disclosure of whichis also incorporated by reference herein. Other suitable components,features, and configurations for providing motorization of firing beam(14) will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view ofthe teachings herein. It should also be understood that some otherversions may provide manual driving of firing beam (14), such that amotor may be omitted. By way of example only, firing beam (14) may beactuated in accordance with at least some of the teachings of any otherpatent/publication reference cited herein.

III. Exemplary Alternative Staple Cartridge and Lower Jaw of EndEffector

As an alternative to end effector (12) of instrument (10) as discussedabove, an exemplary end effector (200) may be used with instrument (10)instead. As shown in FIG. 12, end effector (200) comprises an anvil(268), a lower jaw (240), and a staple cartridge (210) in place of anvil(18), lower jaw (16), and a staple cartridge (37) discussed above.

Anvil (268) comprises a series of staple forming pockets (not shown) andis configured and operable substantially similar to anvil (18) discussedabove.

As best seen in FIG. 13, staple cartridge (210) comprises a cartridgebody (214), which presents an upper deck (215), and is received within achannel (not shown) of and coupled to a lower cartridge tray (212).Staple cartridge (210) also comprises a longitudinally extendingvertical slot (222) formed through part of cartridge body (214). Staplecartridge (210) also comprises two rows of staple apertures (216) formedthrough upper deck (215) on one side of vertical slot (222), and anotherset of two rows of staple apertures (216) formed through upper deck(215) on the other side of vertical slot (222). Of course, any othersuitable number of staple aperture (216) rows may be used. Staplecartridge (210) functions as discussed above with reference to staplecartridge (37). Staples (not shown) are vertically driven out through anassociated staple aperture (216) by longitudinal motion of wedge sled(241) within staple cartridge (210). This drives the staples throughtissue captured between anvil (268) and upper deck (215), with theforming pockets of anvil (268) forming the staples to secure the tissue.

Cartridge body (214) and lower cartridge tray (212) of staple cartridge(210) each comprise inwardly extending notches (218, 220). Notches (220)of cartridge body (214) are formed at a proximal end (224) of cartridgebody (214). Notches (218) of lower cartridge tray (212) are formed at aproximal end (226) of lower cartridge tray (212). Notches (220) ofcartridge body (214) and notches (218) of lower cartridge tray (212) areconfigured to align when cartridge body (214) and lower cartridge tray(212) are coupled together. It should be understood that notches (218,220) may be located anywhere along cartridge body (214) and/or lowercartridge tray (212), and that the location in the present example ismerely one example of one possible location. It should also beunderstood that notches (218, 220) need not be present in both cartridgebody (214) and lower cartridge tray (212). Notches (218, 220) may beincorporated in either cartridge body (214), lower cartridge tray (212),or both cartridge body (214) and lower cartridge tray (212) as in thepresent example. Finally, it should be understood that any suitablenumber of notches (218, 220) in cartridge body (214) and/or lowercartridge tray (212) may be used.

As best seen in FIG. 14, lower jaw (240) comprises a channel (244) thatis configured to receive staple cartridge (210). Lower jaw (240) isconfigured to couple with instrument (10) and function as lower jaw (16)in relation to instrument (10) as discussed above. In addition, lowerjaw (240) comprises protrusions (242) that protrude inwardly frominterior surfaces (247) of lower jaw (240) into channel (244).Protrusions (242) are substantially parallel with a base of lower jaw(240). As shown in FIGS. 15-17, protrusions (242) of lower jaw (240) areconfigured to mate with notches (220) of cartridge body (214) andnotches (218) of lower cartridge tray (212) when staple cartridge (210)and lower jaw (240) are coupled together. It should be understood thatprotrusions (242) may be located anywhere along lower jaw (240), forinstance at a base of lower jaw (240), and that the location in thepresent example is merely one example of one possible location. Itshould also be understood that any suitable number of protrusions (242)may be used.

Among other things, protrusions (242) of lower jaw (240) could preventstaple cartridge (210) from sliding proximally beyond protrusions (242)in the direction of arrow (250) as shown in FIGS. 16-18, particularlywhen staple cartridge (210) is being loaded into lower jaw (240). Asshown FIGS. 17 and 18, by preventing staple cartridge (210) from slidingbeyond protrusions (242), a gap (ΔA) is consistently maintained betweenthe last row (217) of staple apertures (216) and wedge sled (241). Also,by preventing staple cartridge (210) from sliding beyond protrusions(242), a gap (ΔB) is consistently maintained between wedge sled (241)and firing beam (254). Maintaining gap (ΔB) will maintain gap (ΔA)because maintaining gap (ΔB) ensures that wedge sled (241) remainslongitudinally stationary until firing beam (254) is driven distally.Maintaining gaps (ΔA, ΔB) could prevent, among other things, prematuredistal movement of the wedge sled (241), thereby preventing prematurefiring of staples and/or premature lockout. This is because, withoutprotrusions (242) and notches (218, 220), staple cartridge (210) may beforced too deeply proximally within channel (244) upon installation orduring use. This may cause the stationary firing beam (254) to drivewedge sled (241) distally prematurely, which may cause staples to bevertically driven prematurely. Premature firing of staples and/or otherdistal movement of wedge sled (241) may cause a lockout condition asdiscussed above, rendering instrument (10) unusable until theprematurely fired staple cartridge (210) is replaced with an unspentstaple cartridge (210). Protrusions (242) of lower jaw (240) may alsomaintain the position of staple cartridge (210) during operation andprevent staple cartridge (210) from lifting out of lower jaw (240)during tissue compression and/or anvil preload.

Protrusions (242) and notches (218, 220) may cooperate to provide a“poka-yoke” mechanism to help improve product efficiency and/or avoidoperator errors or mistakes. This is because, as discussed above, endeffector (200) may prevent, among other things, premature distalmovement of the wedge sled (241) caused by improper installation ofstaple cartridge (210), thereby preventing premature firing of staplesand/or premature lockout, with little or no effort or consideration bythe operator. In addition, protrusions (242) and notches (218, 220) maycooperate to provide a coding/key system to prevent an inappropriatelysized/configured staple cartridge (210) from being loaded into lower jaw(240). In other words, different versions of instrument (10) may beconfigured to operate with only particular kinds of cartridges (210).Each such version of instrument (10) may have protrusions (242) that areuniquely configured to only complement uniquely configured notches (218,220) formed in the appropriate version of cartridge (210).

IV. Miscellaneous

It should be understood that any one or more of the teachings,expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described herein may becombined with any one or more of the other teachings, expressions,embodiments, examples, etc. that are described herein. Theabove-described teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc.should therefore not be viewed in isolation relative to each other.Various suitable ways in which the teachings herein may be combined willbe readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of theteachings herein. Such modifications and variations are intended to beincluded within the scope of the claims.

It should be appreciated that any patent, publication, or otherdisclosure material, in whole or in part, that is said to beincorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to theextent that the incorporated material does not conflict with existingdefinitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth in thisdisclosure. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure asexplicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting materialincorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portion thereof, thatis said to be incorporated by reference herein, but which conflicts withexisting definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forthherein will only be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arisesbetween that incorporated material and the existing disclosure material.

Versions of the devices described above may have application inconventional medical treatments and procedures conducted by a medicalprofessional, as well as application in robotic-assisted medicaltreatments and procedures. By way of example only, various teachingsherein may be readily incorporated into a robotic surgical system suchas the DAVINCI™ system by Intuitive Surgical, Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif.Similarly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatvarious teachings herein may be readily combined with various teachingsof any of the following: U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,135, entitled “ArticulatedSurgical Instrument For Performing Minimally Invasive Surgery WithEnhanced Dexterity and Sensitivity,” issued Aug. 11, 1998, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No.5,817,084, entitled “Remote Center Positioning Device with FlexibleDrive,” issued Oct. 6, 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,193, entitled “Automated EndoscopeSystem for Optimal Positioning,” issued Mar. 2, 1999, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,565,entitled “Robotic Arm DLUS for Performing Surgical Tasks,” issued May15, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein;U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,524, entitled “Robotic Surgical Tool with UltrasoundCauterizing and Cutting Instrument,” issued Aug. 31, 2004, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No.6,364,888, entitled “Alignment of Master and Slave in a MinimallyInvasive Surgical Apparatus,” issued Apr. 2, 2002, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 7,524,320,entitled “Mechanical Actuator Interface System for Robotic SurgicalTools,” issued Apr. 28, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 7,691,098, entitled “Platform Link WristMechanism,” issued Apr. 6, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporatedby reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 7,806,891, entitled “Repositioningand Reorientation of Master/Slave Relationship in Minimally InvasiveTelesurgery,” issued Oct. 5, 2010, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2013/0012957, entitled“Automated End Effector Component Reloading System for Use with aRobotic System,” published Jan. 10, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,844,789,issued on Sep. 30, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0199630, entitled“Robotically-Controlled Surgical Instrument with Force-FeedbackCapabilities,” published Aug. 9, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,820,605,issued on Sep. 2, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0132450, entitled “Shiftable DriveInterface for Robotically-Controlled Surgical Tool,” published May 31,2012 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,616,431 on Dec. 31, 2013, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No.2012/0199633, entitled “Surgical Stapling Instruments with Cam-DrivenStaple Deployment Arrangements,” published Aug. 9, 2012 and issued asU.S. Pat. No. 8,573,461 on Nov. 5, 2013, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0199631, entitled“Robotically-Controlled Motorized Surgical End Effector System withRotary Actuated Closure Systems Having Variable Actuation Speeds,”published Aug. 9, 2012 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,602,288 on Dec. 10,2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S.Pub. No. 2012/0199632, entitled “Robotically-Controlled SurgicalInstrument with Selectively Articulatable End Effector,” published Aug.9, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,301,759, issued on Apr. 5, 2016, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No.2012/0203247, entitled “Robotically-Controlled Surgical End EffectorSystem,” published Aug. 9, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,783,541, issued onJul. 22, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by referenceherein; U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0211546, entitled “Drive Interface forOperably Coupling a Manipulatable Surgical Tool to a Robot,” publishedAug. 23, 2012 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,479,969 on Jul. 9, 2013;U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0138660, entitled “Robotically-Controlled Cable-BasedSurgical End Effectors,” published Jun. 7, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No.8,800,838, issued on Aug. 12, 2014, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein; and/or U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0205421,entitled “Robotically-Controlled Surgical End Effector System withRotary Actuated Closure Systems,” published Aug. 16, 2012, now U.S. Pat.No. 8,573,465, issued on Nov. 5, 2013, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein.

Versions of the devices described above may be designed to be disposedof after a single use, or they can be designed to be used multipletimes. Versions may, in either or both cases, be reconditioned for reuseafter at least one use. Reconditioning may include any combination ofthe steps of disassembly of the device, followed by cleaning orreplacement of particular pieces, and subsequent reassembly. Inparticular, some versions of the device may be disassembled, and anynumber of the particular pieces or parts of the device may beselectively replaced or removed in any combination. Upon cleaning and/orreplacement of particular parts, some versions of the device may bereassembled for subsequent use either at a reconditioning facility, orby a user immediately prior to a procedure. Those skilled in the artwill appreciate that reconditioning of a device may utilize a variety oftechniques for disassembly, cleaning/replacement, and reassembly. Use ofsuch techniques, and the resulting reconditioned device, are all withinthe scope of the present application.

By way of example only, versions described herein may be sterilizedbefore and/or after a procedure. In one sterilization technique, thedevice is placed in a closed and sealed container, such as a plastic orTYVEK bag. The container and device may then be placed in a field ofradiation that can penetrate the container, such as gamma radiation,x-rays, or high-energy electrons. The radiation may kill bacteria on thedevice and in the container. The sterilized device may then be stored inthe sterile container for later use. A device may also be sterilizedusing any other technique known in the art, including but not limited tobeta or gamma radiation, ethylene oxide, or steam.

Having shown and described various embodiments of the present invention,further adaptations of the methods and systems described herein may beaccomplished by appropriate modifications by one of ordinary skill inthe art without departing from the scope of the present invention.Several of such potential modifications have been mentioned, and otherswill be apparent to those skilled in the art. For instance, theexamples, embodiments, geometrics, materials, dimensions, ratios, steps,and the like discussed above are illustrative and are not required.Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be considered interms of the following claims and is understood not to be limited to thedetails of structure and operation shown and described in thespecification and drawings.

I claim:
 1. An end effector, comprising: (a) a staple cartridge, whereinthe staple cartridge comprises: i. a cartridge body, and ii. a lowercartridge tray, wherein one or both of the cartridge body or the lowercartridge tray comprises at least one proximally presented protrusionengagement feature; (b) a jaw, wherein the jaw comprises: i. a channelcomprising first and second spaced apart interior surfaces and a baseextending therebetween, wherein the channel is configured to receive thestaple cartridge, and ii. at least one protrusion, wherein the at leastone protrusion laterally extends from one of the interior surfaces intothe channel, wherein the at least one protrusion lies directly over andis spaced apart from the base thereby forming a gap between the at leastone protrusion and the base, wherein the gap extends from a bottomsurface of the at least one protrusion to a top surface of the base in adirection normal to one or both of the bottom surface of the at leastone protrusion or the top surface of the base, wherein the at least oneprotrusion is positioned to align with the at least one protrusionengagement feature when the staple cartridge and jaw are coupledtogether, wherein the at least one protrusion and the at least oneprotrusion engagement feature are configured to restrict movement of thestaple cartridge; and (c) an anvil, wherein the anvil is coupled to thejaw, wherein the anvil is movable relative to the jaw.
 2. The endeffector of claim 1, wherein the lower cartridge tray comprises achannel, wherein the channel is configured to receive the cartridgebody.
 3. The end effector of claim 1, wherein the cartridge body andlower cartridge tray each comprise a proximal end, and wherein the atleast one protrusion engagement feature comprises at least one notchformed at the proximal end of one or both of the cartridge body or thelower cartridge tray.
 4. The end effector of claim 1, wherein the atleast one protrusion engagement feature comprises at least one notchformed in both the cartridge body and the lower cartridge tray.
 5. Theend effector of claim 4, wherein the same number of notches are formedin both the cartridge body and the lower cartridge tray.
 6. The endeffector of claim 5, wherein the at least one notch of the cartridgebody is positioned to align with the notches of the lower cartridge traywhen the cartridge body is received within the channel of the lowercartridge tray.
 7. The end effector of claim 6, wherein the jawcomprises the same number of protrusions as the number of notches formedin the lower cartridge tray.
 8. The end effector of claim 1, wherein theat least one protrusion comprises at least two protrusions.
 9. The endeffector of claim 8, wherein each of the at least two protrusionsprotrudes from a respective one of the interior surfaces.
 10. The endeffector of claim 1, wherein the at least one protrusion issubstantially parallel to the base of the channel of the jaw.
 11. Theend effector of claim 1, wherein the cartridge body further comprises aplurality of staple apertures.
 12. The end effector of claim 1, whereinthe anvil comprises a plurality of staple forming pockets.
 13. The endeffector of claim 1, wherein the end effector further comprises a wedgesled and a firing beam, wherein both the wedge sled and the firing beamare configured to longitudinally slide through the staple cartridge. 14.The end effector of claim 13, wherein the wedge sled is housed withinthe staple cartridge.
 15. The end effector of claim 14, wherein thefiring beam includes a distally presented cutting edge.
 16. A surgicalinstrument comprising: (a) a handle portion; (b) the end effector ofclaim 15; (c) a shaft, wherein the shaft comprises a distal end andwherein the end effector is coupled to the distal end of the shaft; (d)a first actuator operable to move the anvil toward the jaw; and (e) asecond actuator operable to drive the wedge sled and knife through thestaple cartridge.
 17. An end effector, comprising: (a) a staplecartridge, wherein the staple cartridge comprises a cartridge body,wherein the cartridge body comprises a longitudinal slot and a pluralityof staple apertures, and wherein the cartridge body comprises at leastone notch; (b) a jaw, wherein the jaw comprises: i. a channel comprisingfirst and second spaced apart interior surfaces and a base extendingtherebetween, wherein the channel is configured to receive the staplecartridge, and ii. at least one protrusion, wherein the at least oneprotrusion laterally protrudes into the channel from one of the interiorsurfaces and lies directly over the base forming a gap between the atleast one protrusion and the base, wherein the gap is defined between anunderside of the at least one protrusion and the base in a directionperpendicular to one or both of the underside of the at least oneprotrusion or an upper surface of the base, and wherein the at least oneprotrusion is configured to align with the at least one notch when thestaple cartridge and jaw are coupled together, wherein the at least oneprotrusion is configured to engage the notch to thereby prevent onlyproximal movement of the cartridge body; (c) an anvil, wherein the anvilcomprises a plurality of staple forming pockets; and (d) a firing beam,wherein the firing beam is configured to slide through the longitudinalslot.
 18. The end effector of claim 17, wherein the staple cartridgefurther comprises a wedge sled, wherein the firing beam is configured todrive the wedge sled longitudinally through the longitudinal slot, andwherein the wedge sled is configured to vertically drive a plurality ofstaples through the plurality of staple apertures as it is drivenlongitudinally through the longitudinal slot.
 19. The end effector ofclaim 17, wherein the firing beam further comprises a knife.
 20. Asurgical instrument omprising: (a) a body; (b) an end effector, whereinthe end effector extends distally from the body, and wherein the endeffector comprises: i. a staple cartridge, wherein the staple cartridgecomprises a cartridge body having a longitudinal slot, a plurality ofstaple apertures, and at least one notch and wherein the staplecartridge further comprises a wedge sled configured to drive a pluralityof staples through the plurality of staple apertures; ii. a jaw, whereinthe jaw is configured to couple with the staple cartridge, and whereinthe jaw comprises at least one inwardly extending protrusion, wherein agap is formed between the at least one inwardly extending protrusion andthe base such that the gap extends from a bottom surface of the at leastone inwardly extending protrusion to a top surface of the base in adirection normal to one or both of the bottom surface of the protrusionor the top surface of the base, and wherein the at least one protrusionaligns with and lies directly over the at least one notch when thestaple cartridge and jaw are coupled together, wherein the at least oneprotrusion and at least one notch cooperate to allow the staplecartridge to move in a distal direction but prevent the staple cartridgefrom moving in a proximal direction; iii. an anvil, wherein the anvilcomprises a plurality of staple forming pockets, wherein the anvil iscoupled to the jaw at an axis transverse to a longitudinal axis definedby the jaw, and wherein the anvil is pivotable about the transverseaxis; and iv. a firing beam, wherein the firing beam is configured toslide through the longitudinal slot and wherein the firing beamcomprises and a knife; (c) a shaft, wherein the shaft comprises a distalend, and wherein the end effector is coupled to the distal end of theshaft; (d) a first actuator operable to pivot the anvil about thetransverse axis; and (e) a second actuator operable to slide the wedgesled and knife through the staple cartridge in response to actuation ofthe second actuator, wherein the at least one notch and at least oneprotrusion are configured to cooperate to prevent the wedge sled fromcontacting the firing beam when the staple cartridge and jaw are coupledtogether and prior to actuation of the second actuator.